Valve



L. H. ROLLER VALVE Dec. 14, 1937.

INVENTOR' Lou/s H. ROLLER ATTORNEY IA V M W .u... m m m Patented Dec. 14-, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VALVE V Louis B. Roller, Plainfleld, N. J. Application April 16, 1934, Serial No. 720,695

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to valves of the type actuated by electrical means and has for and this energy must be expended as long as the spring pressure is opposed.

15 An object of the present invention is to'provide a reversible motor operated valve, the motor being reversible and consuming no energy except during the actual opening and closing of the valve.

20 More specifically my invention provides a valve combined with a straight-line motion electric motor, the moving parts of the valve and motor being completely encased so that there will be no possibility of leakage.

25 A further object of the invention is ,to provide an operating motor adapted automatically to hammer the valve shut and open, so as to insure a tight closure and also to insure opening 01 a tightly closed valve with a motor of compara- 30 tively small power and dimensions.

The present application is a continuation in part of my copendlng application Serial No. 275,682, filed May '7, 1928, now Patent No. 1,954,831, issued April 1'7, 1934,

36 With the above-named objects in view and others which will appear hereinafter, I shall now describe certain embodiments of my invention and thereafter the novelty and scope of the invention will be pointed out in the claims.

40 In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section, of one embodiment of my invention;

' Fig. 2 is a view in transverse section taken-on 45 the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Flg. 3 is 'a view partly in longitudinal section and partly diagrammatic, of a three;way valve embodying my invention; and

Fig. 4 is a diagram of electrical connections 50 showing various control means fonoperating the valve. 1

The valve shown in Fig. 1 comprises a casin it formed with an intake port II and an outlet port 12. 'Between the ports is a. valve seat I! for a closure member N. The latter is carried by a piston N: which has a sliding fit in a cylinder chamber l6 formed in the casing. The purpose of the piston is primarily to serve as a guide for the closure member and in order to balance pressures on opposite sides of the piston a passage ll is formed through the piston. The piston also has a stem l8 bearing a collaris at its outer end which has a sliding fit in a steel casing 'tube 20. The latter is tightly threaded and sealed in a flange plate 2! bolted to the valve casing. This 10 plate forms a leak-tight closure for the cylinder chamber 16. The outer end of the tube is closed by a' cap 22, and to prevent the development of unbalancedfiuid pressures on opposite sides of the collar l9, a pipe 23 extends from the chamber l5 l6 and is coupled (by means not shown) to a pipe 24 communicating with the interior of the cap 22. The motor which operates the valve comprises a stator mounted exteriorlyupon the casing tube and an armature operating within said tube. 20 The armature consists of a tubular plunger 25 which slides upon the stem l8 within the tube 20. Mounted on the plunger are metal rings 26 of high electrical and low magnetic conductivity, such as copper, interspersed with rings of low 26 electrical and high magnetic conductivity, such as steel. The arrangement of the rings may be similar to that provided on the armature v or plunger of the pump described in said copending application. If desired the rings may be dis- 30 pensed with and the tubular plunger may be of uniform outside diameter just clearing the inner periphery of the casing tube. In either case it is desirable to provide a magnetic resistance between the casing tube and the armature, which may be effected by forming a clearance gap between the two, as shown, or by providing a copper or brass coating on the plunger 25 or such parts thereof as may contact with the tube 20. This will prevent the armature from sticking to the casing tube. v

The armature or plunger 25 plays between the collar l9 and a shoulder 28 formed on the piston l5, but light springs 25 normally hold the plunger in the centered position shown in Fig. 1.

The casing tube 20 is preferably turned down to a thin shell intermediate its ends and may be reinforced with rings 30 of bakelite or similar material when the valve is to be used on high pressure fluids. Fitted upon these rings are disk shapedcoils 3i and fitted over the coils are laminated core members 32 of comb shape having teeth 33 which pass between the coils and bear against the steel casing tube 20. These core membets are preferablyof silicon steel and are 66 fastened to bars 36. The latter are bolted at one end to the flange plate 2i and at the oppositeend. to a flange plate 35 mounted on the casing tube near the outer end thereof. 5 It will be observed that there are six coils 36 shown in Fig. 1 and they may be connected, like the coils of the pump stator in said copending application, for operation by three-phase current. However, I prefer to connect the coils for twophase operation so that the motor may operate on split single-phase alternating current.

In the diagram, Fig. 4, the coils 3!! are individually identified by the letters a; b, e, d, e and f. It will be observed that the coils are connected in two parallel groups, one comprising coils a, c and. e connected in series, between the main line 38 and a branch line 39 while the other coils b, d and f are connected in series, between main 33 and another branch line 30. Alternate coils in each group are oppositely wound.

The other main M has two branches Q2 and 33 in the latter of which means are provided to efiect a time, lag. Such means may be either a condenser 46 or a resistance 65, both of which are indicated in the diagram, with a switch 46 for throwing one or the other into the circuit.

A mercury switch d? is adaptedtodzonnect line -39 alternately to lines '32 and :33, while another mercury switch connects line db alternately to lines 42 and 43. The two mercury switches are mounted on a common operating shaft 56 and are set so that the lines t6 and 39 must be connected to difierent ones of the pair of branches 42 and 43. The two mercury bulbs 47 and 48 constitute a reversing'switch'forthe motor, but, obviously any other form of reversing switch may be employed.

To operate the reversing-switch a bellows BI is provided which acts on a crank 52 fixed to the shaft 50. The bellows may be actuated in response to temperature conditions by thermal bulb 53, or it may be actuated manually by means of a valve 5 connecting it to or disconnecting it from a source of fluid pressure (not shown).

In the line 38 thereis a triple mercury switch 1 55 which is normally open, as shown. When this switch is tilted in either direction the ball of mercury therein will make successive contact with the three parallel pairs of contacts projecting into the switch bulb but as will appear hereinafter only when the bulb is returning to the full timeposition illustrated vwill it cause suc- -cessive impulses to pass through the coils 3| of d the motor stator. A solenoid 56 tends. to tilt the '55 switch to the position shown in ffull lines while an opposing spring 51 tilts the switch to the dotted line position when the solenoid is deenergized. The solenoid is connected across lines 38 and 39 and is normally energized except-for 60 the brief intervals whenmercury bulb 41 is oscillating. from one position to the other. However,

' since the solenoid has little-work-to do it draws little energy from the mains. A dash potig serves to dampen the movement of the triple 5 switch 55 toward the full line position. Obviously, instead of the triple switch.and' its operating mechanism any standard time switch may be employed which will cause a set of impulses to pass through-the stator calls after each opera-" 0 tion or the reversing switch. ,a 1

The operation of the valve will now be clear.

Assume that the valve is open and the armature 25. is in thenormal centeredposition, with reversing switch inthe position shown in the die- 75 gram. when the reversing switch is thrown either by manual operation or by thermal conditions the solenoid is momentarily deenergized and the triple switch is immediately pulled to the dotted line position by spring 51. However, as soon as the throw of the reversing switch is com- 5 pleted, reversing the phase connections of the stator coils, the solenoid will be reenergized and by reason of the dash pot will comparatively slowly'restore the triple switch to its normal full line position. During such restoration three 10 separate impulses willbe sent through the stator coils causing the armature 25 to deliver three blows to the shoulder 28, thereby not only closing the valve but hammering it shut. Upon the next actuation of the reversing switch the action of 15 the triple switch will be repeated, but now, because of the reverse connection of the coils, the armature will move under power in the reverse direction and will deliver three blows upon the head it to'insure opening of the valve. 20

While I have shown a stator with six coils 3i,

' so as to provide three pairs of reversely wound coils, it will be manifest that the number of coils may be varied to suit difierent conditions. For instance, four coils 34 may be usedior split single- 25 phaseoperation.

The valve shown in Fig. 1 isoi the two-way type. Fig. 3 shows my invention applied to a three-way valve. The latter valve comprises a casing 60, having an inlet port 8i and two outlet 30 ports 62 and 63 respectively. A closure member provided with two valve heads 64 and 65 respectively controls communication between port 60 and the ports 62 and 63. This closure member has pin-and-slot connection with an arm 66 piv- 35 oted at 67 within the casing. The vfree end of the arm has pin-and-slot connection with. the

shouldered stem corresponding in every respect to the stem I8. The stem is hammered in onedirection or the other by a straight line motor exactly like that shown in Fig. 1 except that only I four stator coils SIfare indicated diagrammatically, instead oi six. These coils may be operated in a split-phase circuit such as shown in Fig. 4, or, in a three-phase circuit. A reversing switch 45 for a three-phase circuit is well known in the art and needs no explanation here; for example, such. a reversing switch for a set of stator coils in a three-phase circuit is shown in the parent applh cation, Serial No. 275,682, of which the present 50 applicationis a continuation in part. The casleakage can occur; v

I In operation, on one throw of the reversing switchthe armature will hammer the valve head 55 64 taclosed position cutting on port 62 and opening port 63, while upon the next actuation of the reversing switch the valve head 65 will be hammered shut cuttingofi port 63 and opening port 63.

While I have described a preferred embodi-- 60 ing tube 20 is sealed intothecasingso that no 'ment of my invention and a modification thereof, these are to be taken as illustrative and not limitative of my invention and I reserve the right to make various changes in form, construction and arrangement of parts without depart- 65 ing from the spirit and scope of the claims.

Iclaimr a 1. A device ofthe character described comprising a casing, a member reciprocable therein, a stem. on said member, an armature. mounted to 70 slide on the stem, stops limiting motion of the armature relative to the stem, means adapted to maintain the armature normally in a position intermediate between the stops, stator coils surrounding the armature, means for establishing a traveling field in the stator coils to move the armature, and a reversing switch operable independently of the movement of the armaturefor controlling the directionof travel of said field.

2. A device of the character described comprising a casing, a member reciprocable therein and having an operating stem, a reversible straightline motor comprising an armature and stator coils, the armature being adapted to slide on the stem, stops limiting motion oi. the armature relatively to the stem, resilient means adapted to maintain the armature normally in a position intermediate the stops, a switch for reversing the motor, and means for eil'ecting intermittent energization oi the stator coils after each actuation of said switch.

3. A device of the character described comprising a casing, a member 'reciprocable therein and having an operating stem, a reversible straight-line motor comprising an armature and stator coils, the armature being adapted to slide on the stem, stops limiting motion-oi! the armature relatively to the stem, resilient means adapted to maintain the armature normally in a position intermediate the stops, 8. switch for reversing the motor, and means for effecting intermittent energization of the stator coils after each actuation of said switch, the last mentioned means being adapted to maintain the coils in deenergized state after a predetermined number of energizations thereof.

4. A device of the character described comprising a casing, a member reciprocable therein, a straight line electric motor adapted to reciprocate said member, a reversing switch for reversing the motor, said motor comprising stator coils exterior to the casing and an armature sealed within the casing, and means constructed and arranged to effect intermittent actuation of the motor after each operation of the reversing switch so as to produce a series of hammerlike blows on said member in each direction oi movement of the motor, said last-named means including instrumentalities for controlling the rate of the blows in each series.

LOUIS'H. ROLLER. 

